Click to viewCollaborative web search tool StumbleUpon makes finding good content online fast, easy and fun. Using StumbleUpon, you can cut down on your Googling and get straight to what you're looking for - whatever the subject - using the StumbleUpon community hive mind. Let's take a closer look.

What is StumbleUpon?

StumbleUpon is browser add-on that you can use to search, or "stumble", the web. Both Firefox and Internet Explorer versions are available here. Use it to find new sites merely by hitting the "stumble!" button; once you find a site you like/dislike, you can give it a thumbs up or thumbs down. Multiply your thumbs up and down with the thousands of other StumbleUpon users, and you've got a whole lot of actual people - not cold heartless machines - sending the best content on the web your way.

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However, there's more here than immediately meets the eye.

Make the most of your StumbleUpon settings

Now, you don't have to grok your Stumble toolbar; you can happily click away on the "Stumble!" button and basically fall into random rabbit holes (I do this quite often, actually). However, the benefits of tweaking your Stumble settings are almost immediate.

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You can get into your Stumble settings a coupla different ways; I just logged into my profile and clicked on "Stumbling" to start. One of the very first things you're going to want to do is decide what kind of filtering options, if any, you want. For instance, I'd rather not stumble on any PDF files because it makes my very old (temporary, new one comes soon thank Jebus) laptop go kablooey.

Once you've got that straightened out, you'll want to visit the Tags page. Click on any of these tags, for instance, humor, and that particular tag is added to the list of topics you'd like to explore.

Of course, you can do this from your toolbar as well (it's easier). Click on the All dropdown menu and go to Update Topics. You'll get a ton of suggested categories for you to stumble; check or uncheck the ones you want to see the most. StumbleUpon also suggests topics you might like; this is more perfectly matched to your unique interests the more you rate sites - remember those thumbs up and thumbs down buttons? Yep - the more you use those, the more you train StumbleUpon to do your evil bidding. These simple tweaks are pretty elementary, I know - but the ROI is incredible.

How I use StumbleUpon

The simplicity of StumbleUpon is its most appealing characteristic - you click, you find great sites, you click again. However, StumbleUpon is a pretty powerful tool if used creatively. Here's just some of the uses that I've found for StumbleUpon so far:

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Generate ideas. You can use StumbleUpon as an instant idea mill - just type in a keyword and go. I've been able to take small kernels of ideas and build upon them using this method.

Research. For anyone doing any kind of research, StumbleUpon is a dream come true, because the websites included in SU are hand-picked and filtered through many sets of eyes before they get to you. I've been able to find many, MANY incredibly rich research-oriented sites through StumbleUpon, faster and easier than using Google.

Exploration. I really love the fact that StumbleUpon enables me to find information that I would never have had the inclination to look for before. It's that delish feeling of not knowing what's coming next - and knowing that if you don't like it, another super possibility is just a click away.

Why StumbleUpon is important

I've already gushed about StumbleUpon enough to make you hunt for the insulin; however, it's just that cool. Not only can it connect you to the quality content you're looking for - often it'll hand you stuff you didn't know you were looking for.

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How do you put StumbleUpon to good use? Let us know in the comments.

Wendy Boswell, Lifehacker's Weekend Editor, is an avid StumbleUpon fangirl. Subscribe to her feature series Technophilia using the Technophilia feed.